Sculpture - Reclining Doe , Antoine-louis Barye (1795–1875) - Bronze

A bronze cast with a brown patina , depicting a resting doe titled "Reclining Doe", by the animal sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye (1795–1875) .
The doe is depicted in a moment of calm and serenity .
The precision of the details reflects the sculptor’s careful observation of his subject .
The delicately sculpted muscles and the texture of the coat attest to exceptional craftsmanship and a deep understanding of animal anatomy .
Antoine-Louis Barye elegantly illustrates the workings of nature and the beauty of animal forms .
The "Reclining Doe" embodies the sculptor’s passion for wildlife and his desire to bring art closer to the wild , thereby contributing to the emergence of animalism in 19th-century art .
A rare sculpture from an early edition , dating from the second half of the 19th century .
The sculptor’s signature "BARYE" is incised , on the richly chiseled naturalistic pedestal .
In perfect condition with excellent patina .

Dimensions : 6.5 cm x 10.1 cm x 5.2 cm

Antoine - Louis Barye (1795–1875)

Famous for his animal sculptures , Antoine-Louis Barye is a silversmith's son , who is trained in metalwork with a military equipment manufacturer and Jacques - Henri Fauconnier.

In 1818 , he entered the Paris School of Fine Arts and apprenticed in the studio of sculptor François Joseph Bosio and painter Jean-Antoine Gros .
After several failures at theThe Grand Prix of Rome , Antoine-Louis Barye slammed the door of the Fine Arts in 1825 .
He then turned to animal sculpture which he would bring back up to date .
With his friend Delacroix , he goes regularly to the menagerie of the Natural History Museum to study and observe animals .

It was in 1831 that Barye made himself known to the general public by exhibiting "The Tiger Devouring a Gavial" at the Salon , a work staging a violent fight "of impressive virtuosity".
Two years later , he triumphed with "The Lion and the Snake" (plaster) , which was also successfully exhibited in its bronze version at the Salon of 1836 .
Preferring bronze to marble considered too cold , the artist multiplied statuettes and small groups animals,that he melts and chisels himself .

Antoine - Louis Barye died at the age of 80 , leaving behind an important production of drawings , watercolors and paintings as well as sculptures , pieces of goldsmith's work .
His works can be seen at the Louvre Museum and Orsay Museum .